This invention relates, generally, to nuclear reactor power systems and, more particularly, to a door arrangement for a condenser compartment of a reactor containment system of a condenser type, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,423,286, issued Jan. 21, 1969 to S. J. Weems, J. A. Hinds and I. H. Mandil, and assigned to the Westinghouse Electric Corporation.
Basically, the reactor containment system of the condenser type involves the rapid absorption of the energy released from a reactor coolant system in the improbable event of a loss-of-coolant accident. The energy is absorbed by condensing the steam in a low temperature heat sink consisting of a suitable quantity of a fusible material in a solid state, such as ice, stored in a completely enclosed generally annular refrigerated compartment located radially between an inner wall which defines a reactor compartment and the outer wall of the containment, and in elevation, generally above an operating deck which divides the reactor compartment into a lower compartment and an upper compartment.
In the event of a loss-of-coolant accident, door panels located at the bottom of the condenser compartment would open almost immediately due to the pressure rise in the lower compartment caused by the release of reactor coolant. This would allow the steam to flow from the lower compartment into the ice condenser. In turn, door panels at the top of the ice condenser would open and allow some of the air which was initially in the lower compartment and the ice condenser compartment to flow into the upper compartment. The ice condenser would quickly begin to condense the steam, thus limiting the peak pressure in the containment.
Since the ice condenser inlet doors are located all around the lower compartment and the different reactor coolant loops are located in certain regions of the lower compartment, the flow of steam from a pipe break would not be evenly distributed to all sections of the ice condenser unless means were provided to prevent such maldistribution.
Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a door arrangement for the condenser compartment of a nuclear reactor containment that will properly distribute the energy released from a loss-of-coolant accident to all sections of the condenser.
Other objects of the invention will be explained fully hereinafter or will be apparent to those skilled in the art.